Vice President Kamala Harris strongly criticized former President Donald Trump’s recent statements about immigrants, likening them to the rhetoric used by Adolf Hitler. During an appearance on Lawrence O’Donnell’s MSNBC show, Harris, who is biracial and the daughter of immigrants, was asked to comment on Trump’s remarks.
Harris spoke about being raised with the awareness that some people use their voices to dehumanize others and create division. She expressed her view that Trump’s language is divisive and has been likened to that of Hitler. Harris emphasized the importance of reminding each other, including children, that true leadership strength lies not in oppressing others but in uplifting them.
Her comments mark her as the most senior Democratic official to publicly draw a parallel between Trump’s immigrant rhetoric and Hitler’s language, joining others from the Biden campaign and White House staff who have made similar comparisons, told The Hill.
At a rally in New Hampshire, Trump claimed that immigrants were “pouring into” the U.S. and “poisoning the blood of our country,” suggesting this influx would lead to increased crime and terrorism. He also posted a message on Truth Social stating, “Immigration is poisoning the blood of our nation,” using all capital letters for emphasis.
The phrase “poisoning the blood” used by Trump has drawn comparisons from the Anti-Defamation League and others to Hitler’s rhetoric in “Mein Kampf,” where he claimed German blood was being poisoned by Jews.
Trump’s supporters, however, have downplayed these comments. They argue that border security is a genuine concern for many Americans, with some asserting that Trump was specifically referring to the impact of illegal drugs, such as fentanyl overdoses, on Americans. For instance, Senator JD Vance of Ohio defended Trump by clarifying that he referred to illegal immigrants, not all immigrants, as poisoning the blood of the country, citing statistics on fentanyl overdoses to support his statement.